How One Song Can Define Your Travel

I can remember having a conversation with one of my friends recently, discussing the role of music in my travels. I can literally think of a trip I’ve taken and link it to one song in my Spotify library. Sure, some of the connections are stupid, (duh, of course, Paris by the Chainsmokers would be the theme of my trip to Paris), but many have deep meaning for me, many inspired me to take the trip itself! For me, I can think of one song that will always stick with me along all my travels.

Sound of Change by Dirty Heads

Istanbul. 2015. Every time I hear this song, a series of flashbacks begin: from the moment I left my apartment in Boca Raton to the second I sailed away into the Bosphorus Straight. That was a big trip for me – sure, I had been further away from home before, but I had never been somewhere like Istanbul. It was different, it was daunting, and I found confidence in the lyrics of Sound of Change, reassuring me that change is good! Change is what moves us forward! Change is exciting!

I can hear it now, the horns are playing
The victory sound, I live in the now
The sky is my home, and I live in the clouds
Now or never, bound forever
Making a change, making it better
I live for this shit, I love the pain
It’s part of the journey, it’s part of the game
I’ve been alone in the dark and the rain
I’ve seen the end and I wasn’t afraid
I’ve been in tears and I wasn’t ashamed
I hear a sound the sound that I’m hearing is change

And it’s funny, even after that trip, I still hear this song, and not only does it remind me of Istanbul, but it continually inspires my travels. These lyrics truly speak to me on many levels. The sky is my home, I fly quite a bit for my age, just recently passing 400,000 lifetime miles, and I find myself at peace when I’m quietly soaring at 35,000 feet. Now or never, now is the time to travel, to make a jump, to do something different. I am bound forever, always finding new places I want to go. Making a change isn’t bad – flying somewhere new and exploring a foreign land is exciting! I live for this shit, I love the pain of things going wrong – would it really be an adventure if it all went so smoothly? Like the time my phone died at the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight and I had to figure out my way back to my hotel in the dark and the rain, that was awesome, it literally disconnected me from a virtual world and allowed me to immerse myself in my Parisian surroundings. Travel is all about change, leaving what we know behind, and making ourselves vulnerable to the unknown. It’s about hearing the call, the sound of travel, the sound of change.

And not every song has a deep meaning for me. Budapest by George Ezra simply makes me think about my time in Budapest, Mars by VanLadyLove brings back memories of flying to Thailand, Big Jet Plane by Angus & Julia Stone brings me back to Tokyo. Music has an amazing ability to link itself to moments in our life, especially moments that stand out, like travel. For me, it can define and inspire an entire trip. How has music marked your travels?

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Mike Faust is an avid world traveler, often found traversing city streets in Asia and Europe rather than his home city of Boca Raton. Mike has touched down in 39 countries, set sail on 35 cruises, and flown over 400,000 lifetime miles.